How Do I Surrender My Saint Bernard?
This is never an easy decision. Still, surrendering your dog the right way can make a world of difference.
If you’re facing the difficult decision of surrendering or rehoming your Saint Bernard, know that you aren’t alone. There are many reasons pet parents may need to rehome their dog — financial stress, unsafe living conditions, sudden life changes (like relocation or job loss), personal health issues, or behavioral challenges. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of mismatched lifestyles: your schedule, energy level, or home environment may not align with the needs of a large, affectionate, and high-maintenance breed like the Saint Bernard.
What Does It Mean to Rehome a Dog?
Rehoming a dog means finding them a new, loving home by directly placing your pet with an adopter you’ve carefully selected. This differs from surrendering, which typically involves transferring legal ownership to an animal shelter or rescue organization. With surrender, the organization assumes full responsibility for care and adoption — whereas rehoming keeps you involved in vetting and choosing the next chapter of your dog’s life.
How to Rehome Your Saint Bernard
You have several thoughtful paths forward: rehoming directly with someone you know, using a trusted pet adoption platform like FurPetVo, or surrendering to a shelter or rescue as a last resort. Whichever route you choose, honesty is essential.
Be upfront about any medical conditions, behavioral quirks, or special needs — such as resource guarding, mobility concerns, or sensitivity to heat. Hiding this information risks an unstable placement and undermines trust. At the same time, highlight your Saint Bernard’s wonderful traits: their loyalty, calm demeanor, love of naps, or joyful enthusiasm for swimming or gentle walks.
Avoid Unregulated Pet Classified Sites
For everyone’s safety — yours and your dog’s — avoid posting on unmoderated platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or local classified networks. These sites often treat pets as commodities and attract irresponsible breeders, scammers, or individuals with harmful intentions. Without proper screening, these channels put your Saint Bernard at serious risk.
Start With People You Trust
One of the safest and most compassionate options is finding a new home within your existing circle — a family member, close friend, neighbor, or coworker. Think carefully about who would best meet your Saint Bernard’s needs: space for a dog weighing 120–200+ pounds, tolerance for drooling, experience with giant breeds, and the financial capacity to cover higher food, medication, and veterinary costs.
Expand Thoughtfully Through Your Community
You can also broaden your search responsibly: ask trusted contacts if they know reliable, experienced adopters; attend local dog-friendly events (if your Saint Bernard is comfortable in crowds); or share your story discreetly through community groups — always prioritizing safety and thorough vetting.
Use a Trusted Pet Adoption Platform
Digital rehoming services like FurPetVo (furpetvo.com) offer a secure, guided process to help you find a loving match. These platforms provide tools to screen applicants, verify references, and even draft adoption agreements — all while keeping your Saint Bernard out of a shelter environment where stress and uncertainty can take a toll. Unlike traditional shelters, FurPetVo helps pet parents retain meaningful involvement in the transition.
Surrender to a Shelter or Rescue (When Necessary)
While rehoming is strongly preferred, surrendering may be your only viable option. If so, prioritize breed-specific rescues — especially those focused on Saint Bernards or giant breeds — as they understand the unique care, temperament, and housing needs of your dog. Organizations like Saints of the West often place dogs in foster homes first, reducing stress and improving adoption outcomes.
Keep in mind that many breed-specific rescues operate at capacity and may have waitlists. Cast a wider net by contacting rescues within a few hours’ drive. If no specialized group can accept your dog, contact your local shelter early — some maintain waitlists for owner surrenders, while others operate on an open-admission basis. Call ahead to clarify policies, fees, and timelines.
Shelters do their best, but they’re often loud, crowded, and overwhelming for sensitive or senior dogs. That said, Saint Bernards tend to be highly adoptable thanks to their gentle nature, striking appearance, and devoted following among giant-dog lovers — especially when they’re healthy and well-socialized.
Do You Have to Pay to Rehome a Saint Bernard?
Costs depend on your chosen path. Shelters and rescues sometimes charge an owner surrender fee — usually to offset medical care, boarding, or intake processing. Rehoming via FurPetVo is typically free for pet parents, though optional support services (like enhanced profile promotion) may be available for a modest fee. In direct rehoming, you may request a rehoming fee from the adopter — not as a sale, but as a responsible safeguard.
What Is a Rehoming Fee — and Should You Charge One?
A rehoming fee isn’t profit-driven. Its purpose is twofold: to confirm the adopter’s financial readiness and to deter individuals seeking free pets for exploitative purposes — including dog fighting or neglect.
Given your Saint Bernard’s significant monthly expenses (food, joint supplements, grooming, and routine vet care), a reasonable rehoming fee starts at $100 and may go up to $300, depending on your region’s cost of living and your dog’s age and health status. Rescue organizations may charge more — their fees support broader operational needs.
Charging a fee is highly recommended when placing your dog with someone you don’t personally know. Pair it with reference checks and a simple adoption agreement outlining care expectations — nutrition, exercise, veterinary visits, and commitment to lifetime care. If you’re rehoming to a trusted friend or family member, a formal fee isn’t necessary, though a symbolic contribution toward initial supplies is often appreciated.
Why Choose FurPetVo for Rehoming?
Rehoming through FurPetVo gives you control, compassion, and confidence. Their platform connects caring pet parents with pre-vetted, committed adopters — all within a secure, supportive framework. You’ll receive guidance every step of the way: from crafting an engaging profile to reviewing applications, scheduling meetups, and finalizing a thoughtful transition plan. Most importantly, FurPetVo helps keep beloved dogs like your Saint Bernard out of overcrowded shelters — giving them the best possible chance at a joyful, stable new beginning.
